Playing Rule Changes Confirmed

May 5th, 2010

Summary of Playing Rule Changes 2010

The GAA Congress 2010 passed a number of playing rule changes relevant to football and hurling which will come into effect in all games played on or after May 15th 2010. In total there are six changes specific to football only and three specific to hurling, while a further six changes affect both codes, A summary of the changes is as follows:

Football Only:

Handpass – If a player handpasses the ball using the open hand, there must be a definite underhand striking action.

Penalty Kicks – All penalty kicks will now be taken from 11 metres out

Kick Outs – All kick outs will now be from the 13 metre line

Sideline kicks – Line balls must be kicked from outside the boundary line

Illegal Charge – It is illegal for a charge to be made on a player kicking the ball.

Definition of bounce – The redefinition of the bounce has the effect that the “Basketball Type”, bounce, per se, is not a foul.

Hurling only:

Puck Outs – The penalty for taking a puck-out from outside the small rectangle is changed from the award of a 65m free to the opposition to a throw in the ball on the defenders’ 20m line.

Handpass – The ball must be released and struck with a definite striking action of the hand

Penalties – Both attackers and defenders must remain outside the 20m line and the arc until the ball is struck from a penalty and the three defenders on the line must not move off the line until the ball is struck.

Both Hurling and Football:

Restarting Play – If play is stopped by the referee to enable a seriously injured player to be treated, play will now resume with a free to the team that had possession. However it will not be permitted to score from such a free (if neither team is “in possession”, play shall re-start with a throw in)

Throw ins – when the play is being restarted by a throw-in, this must take place a minimum of 13 metres from the sideline

Advantage – A referee will now signal that advantage is being played by raising his arm

Extra Time – Extra time consists of 10 minutes per half only. The provision for two additional periods of 5 minutes per half has been removed

Boundary Lines – The penalty for a player deliberately going outside the boundary lines of the pitch to gain an advantage has changed from a caution to a free.

Charge – A charge is now defined as “shoulder to shoulder” rather than “side to side”